Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 20, 2026

Handwriting Analysis Indicates Spontaneous Dyskinesias in Neuroleptic Naïve Adolescents at High Risk for Psychosis
Published on: November 21, 2013
Prediction of DISC substance abuse and dependency for ethnically diverse adolescents
S T Nishimura1, E S Hishinuma, R H Miyamoto
1Department of Psychiatry, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu 96813, USA. nishimuras@dop.hawaii.edu
Purpose:
This study examines the validity of selected items from the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory-Adolescent (SASSI-A) version in predicting Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC version 2.3) Substance abuse and dependency (SA/D) for Native Hawaiian (i.e., indigenous people of the Hawaiian Islands) and non-Hawaiian adolescents (youth without any Native Hawaiian indigenous ancestry).
Methods:
542 students were randomly selected from the larger sample to participate in the DISC administration. Demographic information, SASSI-A scores, and DISC diagnoses were obtained for each student. Univariate and multiple logistic regressions were performed in the prediction of DISC SA/D.
Results:
SASSI-A Factor 1, consisting of three items measuring substance use, was found to have the best utility, accounting for 18.1% of the variance, in predicting DISC SA/D.
Implications:
These results support selected SASSI-A items in screening for SA/D for Native Hawaiian and non-Hawaiian adolescents in Hawaii as compared to other community-based screening instruments for other populations.
Related Concept Videos
Drug Dependence
Drug Abuse and Addiction: Pharmacological Phenomena
Substance Use Disorders Affecting Sleep
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...
Ethnic Identity within a Larger Culture
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms
To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings.
Conduct Disorder

